Is a Baked Potato Enough for Dinner? (Answered)

Is a baked potato enough for dinner?

We’ve all been there.

You’re sitting around on a Friday night and you’re absolutely starving.

You want something delicious, but you don’t want to put in the effort of cooking.

You think to yourself, “Can I just eat a baked potato for dinner?

What if I made it like a meal?”

Well, we are here to tell you that yes—you can totally just eat baked potatoes for dinner!

And we’re going to tell you why and show you how to do it like a boss.

Is a Baked Potato Enough for Dinner?

Yes, a baked potato is enough for dinner. A large potato has around 100 calories, and packs 535 mg of potassium and 21 g of total carbohydrate. It has 2.2 g of dietary fiber, 16% of your daily value of vitamin C, and only 0.1 g of fat.

This is a healthful meal that will satisfy your hunger and give you the nutrients you need to power through your day.

So go ahead and have a baked potato for dinner—you deserve it!

5 Reasons a Baked Potato is Enough for Dinner

We’re here to convince you—a baked potato is all you need.

Give it to us straight: you hate cooking.

You hate grocery shopping.

You hate the food in your fridge going bad while you go out on Friday night and try to remember what fun feels like.

The last time you ate a home-cooked meal, was it because you wanted to make a statement about the value of healthy eating, or was it because even takeout has started to taste like despair?

Well, we’re here to convince you that it’s time for a change—one baked potato at a time.

1. You can load it up with all kinds of goodness

 A baked potato is about as versatile as it gets when it comes to dinnertime.

Not only is it filling—one potato will definitely get you through until breakfast—but you can load it up with all kinds of goodness: sour cream, cheese, bacon bits, garlic, green onion, and so much more.

2. The baked potato is versatile

You can pile ’em high with chili and cheese, slather them in ranch dressing, or even treat it like a taco salad and pile on some ground beef or shredded chicken (or both!).

You can mash up those suckers and do weird science experiments with them if you have to (we don’t recommend it, but hey—you do you).

Or maybe the simplest option is the best: just scoop out your filling and eat the skin separately.

Some people enjoy that kind of thing!

3. Baked potatoes are cheap and filling

You can get them for less than a dollar each at most grocery stores, and they’re a good size—not those tiny baby ones that will leave you hungry after five minutes (or worse, craving another one)!

And because of their size and filling power, the potato is great for feeding more than one person at once.

4. It’s just easy

There’s nothing better than the crunch of a crisp, golden baked potato skin against the soft, fluffy interior.

What’s more, you can turn this simple and delicious meal into a two-for-one deal with some smart planning.

When you’re cooking your potato in the oven, simply make one extra potato—or even two, if you’re feeding a family or want to make an extra serving for lunch tomorrow.

To reheat your leftover potato, just pop it into the microwave and voila!

You have a tasty and filling lunch without any effort at all.

5. It’s a great way to get veggies into your diet

Ever feel like you don’t eat enough vegetables?

You might think that a baked potato is just some sort of starchy side dish, but did you know that potatoes actually belong to the vegetable family?

Yep!

That means that when you eat a baked potato, you’re getting all the benefits of eating vegetables. But wait, there’s more!

Potatoes are full of vitamins, so getting your veggies doesn’t have to be such a chore.

Plus, since potatoes are carb-heavy, you can enjoy plenty of other dishes without worrying about feeling too full.

6. It’s like a hug in a bowl

A warm bowl of soup may be comforting, but sometimes you want something more substantial.

A baked potato is the perfect meal when you are craving comfort food, but not too much calories or effort.

Is a Baked Potato Enough to Keep You Full?

 Yes! Just one baked potato is enough to keep you full for hours.

We know that sometimes it can be difficult to decide what to eat, especially when you’re strapped for time.

But did you know that a single baked potato is enough to keep you full for hours?

And they’re so easy to make!

• Just wash off your potato and give it a quick puncture or two with a fork (for venting), place it directly on the rack in the oven, and bake at 400°F for about an hour.
• You’ll have a delicious baked potato ready when you are!
• If you have time, consider adding toppings like cheese, beans, corn, onions, chives, broccoli, or cilantro—or go wild with spices and flavor combinations!

The Pros and Cons of Eating a Single Baked Potato for Dinner

Pros

• You get to eat a giant baked potato
• An excuse to use the word “tater” as much as you want
• It’s super easy to make (leave in the microwave for 20 minutes)
• Filling and starchy, so it’ll keep you full for a while

Cons

• You won’t get enough vitamins, minerals, or nutrients because the potato is only part of a balanced diet